Putin says all of Ukraine is ‘ours' as he eyes capture of Sumy
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that in his view the whole of Ukraine was 'ours' and cautioned that advancing Russian forces could take the Ukrainian city of Sumy as part of a bid to carve out a buffer zone along the border.
Ukraine's foreign minister denounced the statements as evidence of Russian 'disdain' for U.S. peace efforts and said Moscow was bent on seizing more territory and killing more Ukrainians.
Russia currently controls about a fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea, more than 99 per cent of the Luhansk region, over 70 per cent of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and fragments of the Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
Asked about fresh Russian advances, Putin told the St Petersburg International Economic Forum that he considered Russians and Ukrainians to be one people and 'in that sense the whole of Ukraine is ours.'
Kyiv and its Western allies say Moscow's claims to four Ukrainian regions and Crimea are illegal, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly rejected the notion that Russians and Ukrainians are one people.
He has also said that Putin's terms for peace are akin to capitulation.
Putin, who ordered troops into Ukraine in 2022 after eight years of fighting in eastern Ukraine, said on Friday he was not questioning Ukraine's independence or its people's striving for sovereignty, but he underscored that when Ukraine declared independence as the Soviet Union fell in 1991 it had also declared its neutrality.
Putin said Moscow wanted Ukraine to accept the reality on the ground if there was to be a chance of peace – Russia's shorthand for the reality of Russia's control over a chunk of Ukrainian territory bigger than the U.S. state of Virginia.
'We have a saying, or a parable,' Putin said. 'Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours.'
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, writing in English on the X social media platform, said: 'Putin's cynical statements demonstrate complete disdain for U.S. peace efforts.'
'While the United States and the rest of the world have called for an immediate end to the killing, Russia's top war criminal discusses plans to seize more Ukrainian territory and kill more Ukrainians.'
Wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, 'he brings along only death, destruction, and devastation,' Sybiha said.
Zelensky, in his nightly video address, said Russia had shown 'openly and utterly cynically that they 'don't feel like' agreeing to a ceasefire. Russia wants to continue the war.'
Zelensky said commanders had discussed action in Ukraine's northern Sumy region and that Russia had 'various plans and intentions, completely mad as always. We are holding them back and eliminating these killers, defending our Sumy region.'
Putin said Russian forces were carving out a buffer zone in the Sumy region in order to protect Russian territory.
'Next is the city of Sumy, the regional centre. We don't have the task of taking it, but in principle I don't rule it out,' he said.
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Globe and Mail
9 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Putin says all of Ukraine is ‘ours' as he eyes capture of Sumy
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that in his view the whole of Ukraine was 'ours' and cautioned that advancing Russian forces could take the Ukrainian city of Sumy as part of a bid to carve out a buffer zone along the border. Ukraine's foreign minister denounced the statements as evidence of Russian 'disdain' for U.S. peace efforts and said Moscow was bent on seizing more territory and killing more Ukrainians. Russia currently controls about a fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea, more than 99 per cent of the Luhansk region, over 70 per cent of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and fragments of the Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Asked about fresh Russian advances, Putin told the St Petersburg International Economic Forum that he considered Russians and Ukrainians to be one people and 'in that sense the whole of Ukraine is ours.' Kyiv and its Western allies say Moscow's claims to four Ukrainian regions and Crimea are illegal, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly rejected the notion that Russians and Ukrainians are one people. He has also said that Putin's terms for peace are akin to capitulation. Putin, who ordered troops into Ukraine in 2022 after eight years of fighting in eastern Ukraine, said on Friday he was not questioning Ukraine's independence or its people's striving for sovereignty, but he underscored that when Ukraine declared independence as the Soviet Union fell in 1991 it had also declared its neutrality. Putin said Moscow wanted Ukraine to accept the reality on the ground if there was to be a chance of peace – Russia's shorthand for the reality of Russia's control over a chunk of Ukrainian territory bigger than the U.S. state of Virginia. 'We have a saying, or a parable,' Putin said. 'Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours.' Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, writing in English on the X social media platform, said: 'Putin's cynical statements demonstrate complete disdain for U.S. peace efforts.' 'While the United States and the rest of the world have called for an immediate end to the killing, Russia's top war criminal discusses plans to seize more Ukrainian territory and kill more Ukrainians.' Wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, 'he brings along only death, destruction, and devastation,' Sybiha said. Zelensky, in his nightly video address, said Russia had shown 'openly and utterly cynically that they 'don't feel like' agreeing to a ceasefire. Russia wants to continue the war.' Zelensky said commanders had discussed action in Ukraine's northern Sumy region and that Russia had 'various plans and intentions, completely mad as always. We are holding them back and eliminating these killers, defending our Sumy region.' Putin said Russian forces were carving out a buffer zone in the Sumy region in order to protect Russian territory. 'Next is the city of Sumy, the regional centre. We don't have the task of taking it, but in principle I don't rule it out,' he said.
CTV News
11 hours ago
- CTV News
Putin says Russia has shared peace proposals with Israel and Iran
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, June 20, 2025. (Vyacheslav Viktorov/ Roscongress Foundation via AP) ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he has secured Israel's pledge to safeguard Russian personnel at Iran's Russia-built nuclear power plant and that he has reached out to both sides to try to end the week-old war. Answering questions on a variety of issues at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin also warned Ukraine that it could lose more territory if it keeps rejecting Russia's conditions for peace. Putin said Russia has proposed 'some ideas' for a possible settlement between Iran and Israel that are currently being discussed. He said Moscow asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure the security of Russian personnel who are working to construct two more reactors at the nuclear power plant in Iran's port of Bushehr and that he also raised the issue with U.S. President Donald Trump. 'Prime Minister Netanyahu has agreed with that, and President Trump has promised to support our legitimate demands,' Putin said. But he strongly rejected allegations that Moscow has failed to back its ally, Tehran, saying the Kremlin has maintained good ties with both Iran and Israel. He noted that Israel is home to nearly 2 million people from Russia and other former Soviet nations, 'a factor that we always have taken into account.' At the same time, Putin said, Russia has always met its obligations to Iran, adding that Moscow has firmly backed Tehran's right for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. He voiced concern about the spiraling conflict, saying we 'are strongly worried about what's going on around the Iranian nuclear facilities and possible consequences.' A tough warning to Ukraine Asked about Moscow's goals in Ukraine, Putin said the Russian military is moving to extend a buffer zone in Ukraine's Sumy region following a Ukrainian incursion last year into Russia's neighboring Kursk region. 'We have to create a security zone along the border,' Putin said, adding that the Russian troops have forged about 10 kilometres (about 6 miles) deep into the Sumy region and are approaching its capital of the same name, a city of about 270,000 people. 'They are creating a threat to us, constantly shelling the areas along the border,' he added. 'We don't have a goal to capture Sumy, but I don't exclude it in principle.' Putin reaffirmed his long-held claim that Russians and Ukrainians are 'one people,' declaring that in 'that sense, all of Ukraine is ours.' But he also said Russia is ready to recognize Ukrainian sovereignty while emphasizing that Kyiv must accept the 'realities' of Moscow's territorial gains and abandon its bid to join NATO as part of possible deal. 'We aren't seeking Ukraine's surrender, we want them to recognize the realities on the ground,' he said, adding that Moscow has repeatedly warned Ukraine that it would better make a deal. 'The logic of military action could only exacerbate your situation, and you will have to conduct talks from different positions that will be worse for you,' Putin said, addressing Ukraine. 'There is an old rule: Wherever a Russian soldier puts his foot, that belongs to us.' Asked by the session's moderator whether he is concerned by allegations that Ukrainian authorities could order the use of a 'dirty bomb' of radioactive material against Russia, Putin said such an action would be 'their last mistake' that would trigger a 'mirror' response from Russia in line with its nuclear doctrine. 'Our response would be very tough and, most likely, catastrophic' for both the government and the country, he said. 'I hope it will never come to that.' Putin added that while Russia doesn't have information that Ukraine could mount such an attack, 'we assume that some people may develop such ideas in their sick imagination.' Putin says he won't allow Russia to fall into a recession Putin hailed Russia's economic outlook, saying it has managed to curb inflation and ease its reliance on energy exports. His optimistic account contrasted with somber statements by some members of his government who warned at the same conference that Russia could face a recession. Economic Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said Thursday the country is 'on the brink of going into a recession.' Putin mentioned the recession warnings, but emphasized that 'it mustn't be allowed.' He pointed out that manufacturing industries have posted steady growth, allowing the country to reduce its reliance on oil and gas exports. 'The perception of Russian economy as based on raw materials and dependent on hydrocarbons exports have clearly become outdated,' Putin said, adding that the economy grew by 1.5 per cent in the first four months of 2025 and inflation has dropped from double digits to 9.6 per cent. Putin has used the annual forum to highlight Russia's economic prowess and encourage foreign investment, but Western executives have shunned it after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, leaving it to business leaders from Asia, Africa and Latin America. The economy, hit with a slew of Western sanctions, has so far outperformed predictions. High defense spending has propelled growth and kept unemployment low despite fueling inflation. Large recruiting bonuses for military enlistees and death benefits for those killed in Ukraine also have put more income into the country's poorer regions. But over the long term, inflation and a lack of foreign investments pose threats to the economy. Economists have warned of mounting pressure on the economy and the likelihood it would stagnate due to lack of investment in sectors other than the military.
Winnipeg Free Press
14 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
How the AP decided to refer to the conflict between Israel and Iran as a war
The Associated Press is calling the current conflict between Israel and Iran a war, given the scope, intensity and duration of military activities on both sides. Other news organizations also have decided to refer to the conflict as a war, while some are still sticking with words such as 'conflict' or 'fighting.' Why does it matter? When a conflict in the world spills into military action, it's important to use the correct terms to describe it. Sometimes a one-sided attack occurs without further action, or a conflict bubbles up and then ends quickly Using 'war' widely to describe these kinds of situations can diminish the word's importance. Then, when actual war breaks out, people might not understand its significance. What does the AP consider? The Merriam-Webster definition of war is quite broad: 'A state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations,' or 'a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism.' The fight between Israel and Iran meets those criteria, though neither has officially declared war. Since Israel launched an air campaign targeting Iran's military and nuclear program, there has been a significant escalation in the conflict. Iran has launched hundreds of missiles and drones into Israel. Israel has assassinated high-level Iranian officials; targeted the country's infrastructure; called for hundreds of thousands of residents to evacuate Iran's capital, Tehran; and said it will continue its offensive. What are previous examples of conflicts where the AP issued guidance to use the word 'war'? The AP provided guidance on the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war in the days and weeks after fighting began. In both cases, editors considered the number of casualties, the intensity of fighting, the involvement of each party, and what each country was calling the conflict. In both cases, the AP started using the word 'war' to describe the conflicts. Why is it 'war' and not 'War'? AP capitalizes the word 'war' only as part of a formal name, which as of now does not exist. Could the guidance change? Decisions on how AP uses the term 'war' happen in real time. AP's news leaders and standards editors will continue to monitor developments to see whether changes are necessary. At this point, the level of fighting constitutes the countries being at war, no matter what happens next. If fighting were to end soon, AP would continue saying the countries had been at war. News leaders would consider whether the level of fighting at that time amounted to being at war. If other countries intervene in the war, AP would describe the intervention as military action in support of Israel or military support of Iran. AP would also consider whether the action constitutes those countries also being at war.
